Leaderboard

@Captain Obvious Something Bruce neglected to mention in this diddy: We passed a non-descript modern green Mopar while we were at acceleration. Bruce says'' You just poked the bear!" Not seeing any Smokies, I don't know $hit about what he means. He says----"That's a hellcat and I know the guy!" About then the hellcat screams up to the right and disappears into the exit ramp as C.O. is waving out the window at the driver. He had made up about a mile in 6 or 7 seconds.

Cool. Must be the road! I had a memorable I-85 experience while on the way to the show at Road Atlanta as well. Goes like this: I was riding shotgun with @Zup in his flat-top powered 73 and we were following behind @S30Driver (who was our navigator) in his red 280. Out on I-85 while we had the opportunity, Zup decided to put the pedal to the metal and show me what the boat anchors could do. He pulls out into the left lane and punches it. We pass S30driver and are gaining speed rapidly... Zup is counting off the speed tics as I'm watching the "slow" traffic in the right lane quickly fall behind. ninety-five. one hundred. hundred and five. hundred and ten. At that point, he lets up on the pedal. The car had more to give, but he just wanted to guarantee "over a hundred" and figured that an extra ten would account for any errors in measurement. Anyway, so we're slowing down and are about a half mile in front of our navigator... As our exit for the track peels off to the right!! So after we slowed down, we tucked back into the right lane and let our navigator catch up and pass us. "Re-calculating!"

I know you asked for info on chromate plating. There has been quite a bit discussion on this site recently about whether Nissan used chromate or yellow zinc plating. I think the consensus is Nissan used yellow zinc and clear zinc for plated parts, not chromate. Just FYI, your car and your choice as always. Examples of recent yellow zinc replating:

Why trade when you can have true NOS carbs AND quarter panels! Think of the provenance! If it's going to be worth $70,000 plus in the end, these are a must have addition! ...heavy doses of sarcasm and good natured ribbing of @Patcon

Yes! It's I 85 and U 85 or I'm driving up your muffler. Mark and Kathy had gone from an airplane to my Camry with an Alabama tag. We're talking and trying to navigate to Braselton. It was a hoot.

Lots of good advice here. With compression that low I'd be surprised that the car is starting and / or not smoking like a chimney. She would feel like a salted slug if true - I bet she doesn't, right? I would question the test equipment first and foremost. The operator does appear to be somewhat intelligent and competent :p This is what I use and have found owning one a very useful thing. https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F143013635153 One other thought, when doing this test I always hook up a battery charger on "start" mode to eliminate any effects of battery drain. For comparison, my L26 that was burning a litre of 20w50 every 1000 miles ran with 155psi dry, 185 wet. My freshly rebuilt L28 with static compression of 10.5:1 and the 270 cam does 205psi wet or dry across all cyls +/- a nat's sigh. I would be amazed if your car is genuinely running that low and not feeling massively sluggish. Regardless of the absolute numbers, the variation across banks is a thing to consider. Cam clearances will of course have an effect and while you have the rocker cover off check head bolt torque too. If you find after all this you still have the same readings, get a "leak down test" before tearing the motor down. https://mobiloil.com/en/article/car-maintenance/car-maintenance-archive/how-to-do-a-leakdown-test Oh the joys of owning old cars! Good luck buddy.

e Dave Chidester, Laguna Seca 1974

Didn't touch the car today but I thought I'd share what I built that also eats my money ha! Took the kids out wheeling and for a fire today. Id post a video but I dunno how, 84 bronco on 37 inch rubber 5.8 liter. Shes been neglected since I brought the datsun home haha Sent from my SM-N950W using Tapatalk

@jfa.series1 Who did that beautiful re-plate work for you Jim? That is a perfect example of superior workmanship, methods and results.

I’ll just leave this here. https://www.ebay.com/itm/1972-datsun-240z-NIB-NOS-FACTORY-CARBURETORS/392174177113

Well that sounds like somebody made a dumb decision

I took my data plate out of the door jamb and found some of the correct size rivets to put it back later. I put it in the fire box with the title, so I don't misplace it. That way I don't have to mask around it

Hi Jayhawk, Yes, I bought them on ebay a few days ago, but haven't received them yet. I collect Datsun frames, especially ones from the Northwest (I live in the Seattle area). I had seen your posts before but didn't realize they were from the dealership you got your car from until I googled the dealership name and it brought me to this thread. I'll send you a PM. -Mike

It's funny that I'm way more worried about the body of my Z cars than anything mechanical, but it's the exact opposite for my Porsche 996. At any moment, the engine could grenade and I'll be left with a giant repair bill.

As Patcon pointed out, the parts will only retain and or gain in value as long as they stay on the shelf. The shelf labeled 401Z a$$ets.

I’m jealous, I was in the salt mines working while you guys were playing and racing to ZCon. Next year maybe I’ll get a kitchen pass from my wife and call in sick for work. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

@Zup - Jim, thanks for the kind words. I get all my plating done locally at a commercial facility, they know me by sight. I've found that its all about the prep work beforehand. Recall the old IT saying - GI-GO. Lots of wire wheel and Dremel work to remove rust, scale, ...whatever. Even a bit of wet sanding when required, straighten anything bent, ...etc. Its a great hobby and I enjoy seeing good parts get a second life. Not the least, the hours keep me off the streets at night! Jim

He has to pay off the student loan for his MBA?

Ah, the joy of a free market economy! Ask what you like, let the buyers decide.

love it - "tear it apart and plate everything" My ultimate goal is to make this a reliable weekend car. The golf clubs just fit in the back! I have been asking all these questions, and you all have been very supportive, because I want to do it right. So I am taking my time and going to do each and everything correctly. Last night I set up the welder and table, I see a bunch of practice happening on thanksgiving!

Yeahhhhh, NO! I can take 20 pairs and send them to Z therapy for that! and they will be roller bearing when they come back. Even if I had to buy cores, I could probably do 12 sets.

Pic taken 1994. Car is a 78. 12/70 260Z motor Mallory dist triple Weber 40s ext oilcooler headers twice pipes Tokico Iluminas Eibach springs frt/rr sways

Yes, I had a 100 or so laser cut. I am waiting to make a zinc plating run to Muncie, then they will be ready.

Well before you go and start looking into other more complicated possibilities, I would double check the results with another compression test gauge. Get your hands on one that you have confidence in. For all you know, it's a test equipment issue. Maybe that lent unit has been dropped one to many times. And as for the test procedure, everything looks good except for at the very end... What do you mean "3-4 seconds for each cylinder"? Are you actually watching the gauge while you crank the engine, or are you just blindly cranking the engine for three or four seconds and assuming the cylinders have topped out in compression pressure by then? Reason I ask, is that in my experience, it takes three to seven compression cycles on the cylinder to top out at peak pressure. If you're just counting to "four one-thousand" and letting off the key, you may only be at half the peak "achievable" pressure. Here's to hoping your having a test procedure or equipment issue and not really having a problem with the engine itself.

Mark, as someone who drives on Georgia 400 every day, I can assure you that Georgians believe those are the speed limit signs. You should see how crazy it gets on I-675.

Among the fondest memories, I have from ZCON, was the drive to and from Saturday's show at Coolray Stadium. Jai hands me the keys to RedBird and says, "I'm going to ride with Bill (her son) and you and Kathy follow us to the show". Since it has been a good number of years since I had been back in a Z and never driven a 280, I jumped at the chance. The adventure started crossing lanes of traffic to get to I-85. Quickly discovered that RB's turn signals were intermittent. Hoping that modern drivers would recognize archaic hand signals, I found that Southern Hospitality was also in effect on the roads. Being in a beautiful bright red 280 probably helped. We managed to stay behind Bill but as we started down the ramp onto I-85 he takes off like he's being shot at. As the smile starts to spread across my face I shift into 3rd and then 4th gear and put the gas pedal to the floor just to keep up with Bill and Jai. Soon I think, OK, time for 5th gear. Slip it into neutral over to the right and up. Goes in easily, I let out the clutch and immediately realize that it was in 3rd and also realize this is a 4 speed. (trans is in excellent condition, btw, but could use some shifter bushings) Pull it back into 4th. As we gracefully weave our way through the slower traffic I look down and realize we're going 90 mph. Ah, this feels good. As I settle back in the seat the memories and feelings of driving a Z at speed come flooding back in a huge wave. Does Bill realize that the I-85 signs aren't speed limit signs? Who cares, I'm back in the 1970's when I was was bulletproof and much like back then, I just want to go faster. Much too soon we safely pull into Coolray Field and find a parking spot. When Bill gets out of his Xterra he has the biggest $hit eatin' grin on his face I've ever seen. Come to think of it, it probably matched the one on my face. After thanking him for the experience, we got to know each other better. He wants a 510 for the street and occasional track use. The apple didn't fall far from the tree. Good work Jai. The other great memories are of meeting Y'all and putting faces with names. Being able to talk with Matsuo-san, Cliff coming down for the day and providing transportation for us (thanks Cliff) and the warmth and hospitality of everyone we met in and around Atlanta. We wish we had more time to bench race with the other members but we're grateful for the memories we have. Thanks to all.

Try using the EZ strip grinder wheels. They are plastic, don’t build heat and do a great job.

Thanks Elliott000 - Keep up the good work and thanks for the inspiration

BTW don't use aluminum as spacers! The dissimilar metals causes other issues. I agree, your best bet is to make some. I like originality too, but sometimes it's not worth the effort. The older I get, enjoying the car on the road becomes the priority

Cruising back from USA to Canada with 3 old Z's. 72 240z auto mirror, 76 280z manual in mirror Somewhere in western New Brunswick ~ 2005

Guys, really appreciate the help. Going to check for vacuum leaks and complete a compression test today. AK260, I hope it is as easy as me reliving your experience. Thanks for comments on the cam, too. I asked MSA about how aggressive my cam was, and the guy said it was equivalent to a Stage II. I know they aren't mechanics and it isn't their exact product, so not most confident on his opinion. Anyone else's opinion on the cam given the numbers I've provided would be appreciated.

We don't rely on locks around here. We rely on big dogs and noise makers. As a builder I realize locks only keep honest people honest

@JLPurcell Didn't you make some shims at some point?

You can unplug any you want. Unplug them at the fenders and corners. Leave the column alone. Once they are unplugged and the lights will stay on then you know the issue is down stream. Add them back and see where the problem lies. Easy, peasy

Unplug all the running lights. Replace the fuse. With the lights on, see if the fuse will hold. If so it in one or more of the disconnected lights. Then plug in lights one at a time, waiting between each one. When you get to one that blows the fuse, repair / replace it and do the next one

The path of least resistance, no pun intended, is to get a pair of new marker lights. If you clean out the rust, it wont stay that way long with all the rain you get in Panama. The new ones will have intake zinc coatings on them to help them last.

Now these are my kind of Z. https://petrolicious.com/articles/the-last-word-in-datsun-240z-restomods-is-being-written-in-great-britain?fbclid=IwAR2XZBvYCDqEkod0r7iGMGb-DWn6E5x7yK-m6480manLDv8eDkuCkO4e0gc

And Blue, what's the true purpose of this thread? You've titled it "L24 Battles Six S20s. Guess who wins?", but why? You seem to be framing it as a simplistic L24 vs S20 fight, but it wasn't actually anything as simplistic as that. What's your real agenda here? The answer to the question posed by the thread title is, in fact, the latest Works car, with the 'ace' Works drivers behind the wheel... . You might like to remind yourself that the car in question was still in fact a 432R, running all the 432R-specific homologated parts and having the benefit of all the factory team development carried out up to that point. The L24 being installed in that chassis was far (far!) from stock, with special Works-developed crank, rods, pistons, head and many other details, and was running at a displacement of over 2500cc (yes, 25% greater than the S20) allowed by the GTS-II class rules. You can hardly frame it as L24 = great, S20 = $^!#, can you? Not only that, but I don't see any mention of one of the key points; The intra-company politics regarding the S20 engine and the fact that the very recently ex-Prince faction at Murayama regarded the S20 as 'their' engine and had effectively blocked the Nissan Works faction at Oppama from the better developments, updates and trick parts that the Murayama based team were using on their Skyline GT-R race cars. Murayama were not involved in racing the L6, so there was no potential for a reciprocal arrangement. Discussing the race career of the 432R without taking into account any of the Murayama/Oppama politics is to miss much of the point. And with regards specifically to the 1970 Fuji 1000kn race, you missed the elephant in the room for the whole event. Is that because you chose not to mention it, or because you didn't know about it? The big clue is what that particular event was supposed to be, and what cars were supposed to be taking part in it but for a recent tragedy. It had a huge impact on the race, and who/what won it.... It really ought to be taken into account.